Have you ever been told that you are too young to achieve something? Forget about it now, please. Let us remind you that it was young people who stood up in the Velvet Revolution that brought systemic change. Not only Velvet Revolution, but International Students’ Day is also tied with 17 November. Why is it so? In the following lines, we will dig a little bit into history to explain the connection. Since we are celebrating International Students’ Day, you will also have an exclusive chance to get to know our youngest colleagues. Gen-Z part-timers that make our teams complete study hard. We believe that it is very important for students to be active in society.
Students’ uprising of 1939 & Velvet Revolution of 1989
In 1939 Nazi occupant forces brutally suppressed students who wanted to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Republic of Czechoslovakia in Prague. This violent act cost one student life which led thousands of his fellow students to demonstrate against the Nazi occupation. Over 1,200 students got arrested and some of them did not survive. As a commemoration of this drastic act, the International Students’ Council decided to declare 17 November International Students´ Day. Demonstrations related to International Students’ Day in 1989 initiated a chain of events which finally led to the reform of the former communist regime into democracy. Protests started by students were soon joined by actors, artists and other citizens. Courage of young people to express their view peacefully brought freedoms and human rights to the whole nation.
Now, let's get back to business. International Students’ Day is a great opportunity to introduce students that work with us. Junior Java developers Jakub and Filip and HR assistant Gabika are Slovak part-timers. Junior Devops engineer Nikola (yes it's a male name :-)) works at our new Croatian office. They all told us what they really think about their part-time jobs at Unique People.
1. Do you prefer studying or working? How do you manage both?
Jakub: I prefer working because it offers me more flexibility. I study computer science at Technical university of Košice, graduate level. At university, we only study basic principles that I can easily use to resolve everyday problems at work.
Filip: I study applied informatics at Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. I try my best to work every day when I have time, but it's not always possible. I’ve been working for over 2 years, but it's home office most of the time, so I can adjust work to the situation at school, so it fits me. Sometimes it happens that I have to study in the evening, however, I’ve got used to that.
Nikola: As a computer science graduate student at University of Split - Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, both college and work take up a lot of my time. Time management is kind of an issue since I have to be at both places every day. My daily schedule is as follows: college in the morning, work in the afternoon. During the weekend I catch up with all the remaining duties whether it is extra work or studying. I enjoy both equally. At college, I can be around people of my age and have fun but also study along the way. At work, I enjoy being in good company and working on something practical.
Gabika: Both studying and working are important for me. I’ve always valued education, I study at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice - History & British and American Studies - it is a combined major mainly created for future teachers. Even though my study major is quite fascinating, there are some things that drive me crazy about our school system. I try my best to manage school as well as work plus some other activities which is, sometimes, pretty difficult. Thank God I can do all of that.
2. Why is it important for you to work when you study at university?
Jakub: My work offers me much more practical experience, it broadens my horizons in the field, and it increases my value on the job market.
Nikola: For me it was very important to find a job along with studying. Although college provides a lot of useful theoretical information, it lacks the practical part. Part-time work is an excellent way to bridge that gap between theory and actual work. Also, a bit more money is what every student needs :) .
Gabika: Not only to get experience and try out what kind of job suits you the best, but also to become more independent in terms of finances if you work a part-time job.
3. How would you describe your job at Unique People to your grandma?
Jakub: Repairing printers, TVs, radios? That's what I don’t do.
Filip: I work as a Java developer, I develop various backend applications, design databases and everything related to backend development.
Gabika: I work at the department of Human resources, plus we deal with some marketing, so if I were to explain that to a granny, I'd probably say something like… People send us their CVs and we process their personal information, we look for suitable candidates to be hired by our clients and we try to promote the company as well.
Nikola: I already had to explain DevOps to my grandma so this is a familiar territory. I told her that it is my job to make sure that the code my colleagues write doesn't go to waste, instead it does what it should using the appropriate amount of resources.
4. Describe your way of working with the title of a movie or a song.
Jakub: Alone with my feet on the table (Sám s nohami na stole) by Peter Nagy.
Filip: Social network :D. I like to code in my hoodie with my head covered.
Nikola: Eminem - Till I collapse on a good day, and Gone in 30 seconds on a bad day.
Gabika: Right now, I would say “Girl on fire” describes my approach. It feels like walking on fire that might burn you – managing school, work, volunteering and personal matters. But the girl in the song is fearless and so am I, because I always try to have hope that it's all going to be fine.
5. What has working at Unique People given you for your future career?
Filip: A lot of experience, both in the professional sphere and in communication with people. I worked on foreign projects where I communicated with Germans and Indians, which taught me a lot. I improved my ability to speak English and what is more important, I learned that even though someone is much older than me it is always necessary to speak your mind without fear.
Nikola: Working at Unique People has been excellent so far. Regarding the future, it has provided me with important basics of my own role in the software development lifecycle, along with a bunch of new skills and a lot of time for self-development. That would not be the case if it wasn't for the amazing mentors I was assigned to.
Gabika: This job is definitely a valuable experience for me. It has given me the opportunity to be creative, to use the language I study on a daily basis. I also started to use some tools I did not know before, which comes in handy. Overall, I feel like it broadens my horizons and helps me find out what I want to do in my future life.
6. What do you like about Unique People?
Jakub: Our team, a good boss, team buildings, coffee.
Filip: What I like about Unique People is that when you are responsible and diligent, you get rewarded. The team we have is great, we have fun at work and some team buildings were pretty interesting 😀.
Gabika: Hmm… I really appreciate my work flexibility, friendly environment in our office, working with professionals in their field, talking to my inspiring colleagues, sweets in the kitchen and every new skill I acquire.
Nikola: Unique people, of course. Our team in Croatia is a really nice group of people, which makes work a whole lot easier.
7. What did you want to become when you were a kid and what is your dream job now?
Jakub: When I was a child, I wanted to become an astronaut. Recently, I discovered the charm of software, and I would like to become a software architect.
Filip: When I was a small boy, I always wanted to be a football player. However, I soon found out that it was unrealistic. I have wanted to code since then. Now I can imagine designing applications and technologies that will be used. So I would probably like to become an architect.
Nikola: As a kid, I always wanted to become a professional athlete, but that is no longer a realistic option. Now my dream is to be as good as I can in my current work department.
Gabika: In my childhood I wanted to become a painter, a storywriter, a policewoman, a lawyer – various professions. I do not dream of any particular job now, I know that I want to work with people, that I would love to be beneficial for the society. I wanted to become a teacher recently, since teachers from our future generations may impact the lives of young people. But currently, when I’m studying it, I am no longer so sure about my career path.
Our students contribute to company´s unique spirit. Fresh ideas are always welcome. We are happy to see young people that care about their future and not only study but also try to implement their ideas at work. It is crystal clear that the voice of determined youth can bring positive changes.